Product Description

"Code complete" is the phrase used by programmers to announce the completion of a software program. Drawing its examples from a variety of computer languages, this book focuses on programming technique rather than the requirements of a specific programming language or environment. Steve McConnell developed True Type and Windows for the Microsoft Corporation. Topics include: front-end planning, applying good design techniques to construction, using data effectively, using common and advanced control structures, secrets of self-documenting code, testing and debugging techniques, improving performance with code tuning, managing construction activities, and relating personal character to the development of superior software.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #134836 in Books
• Published on: 1993-05-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 896 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
A modern-day classic on software engineering, Code Complete focuses on specific practices you can use to improve your code and your ability to debug it--and ultimately deliver better, more efficient programs in less time. With every bit of advice the book proffers you'll improve your ability to write elegant, self-documenting, maintainable software. McConnell doesn't focus on the idiosyncrasies of any single language, but on the general issues developers face: naming subroutines and variables in meaningful ways, designing control structures, finding and correcting errors in code, and many, many more. Code Complete is packed with code samples demonstrating good and bad programming practices and checklists that you can use to vet your own work.

From the author's preface: "My primary concern in writing this book has been to narrow the gap between the knowledge of industry gurus and professors on one hand and common commercial practice on the other. Although leading-edge software-development practice has advanced rapidly in recent years, common practice hasn't. Many programs are still buggy, late, and over budget, and many fail to satisfy the needs of users. The research and programming experience collected in this book will help you to create high-quality software and do your work more quickly and with fewer problems."

From the publisher: "Whatever your background--experienced developer, self-taught programmer, or programming student--this ingeniously organised handbook contains state-of-the-art information that can help you write better programs in less time with fewer headaches. Code Complete is not a panacea, but it is an encyclopedic treatment of software construction, the most important part of the software-development cycle. It contains some 500 examples of code (good and bad) and includes ready-to-use checklists to help you assess your architecture, design approach, and module and routine quality.

Perhaps most important of all, Code Complete provides a larger perspective on the software-development process and the role of construction in the process that will inform and stimulate your thinking about your own projects, enabling you to take strategic action rather than fight the same battles again and again.

The concepts discussed in Code Complete are applicable to any procedural language in any computing environment. --Amazon.com

From the Publisher
'We were impressed by Code Complete...a pleasure to read, either straight through or as a reference. An invaluable $35 reference.' — PC Week. This runaway bestseller is a practical guide to software design that discusses the art and science of constructing software. Examples are provided in C, Pascal, Basic, Fortran, and Ada, but the focus is on successful programming techniques.

About the Author
Steve McConnell is a consultant to software-intensive companies in the Puget Sound area including Microsoft. His primary focus has been on the development of mass-distribution commercial microcomputer software. In addition to more theoretical projects such as writing this book, he has personally written more than 50,000 lines of production code in the last five years. McConnell earned a bachelor's degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and a master's degree in software engineering from Seattle University. He is a member of the IEEE Computer Society and the ACM.

Customer Reviews

The definitive guide on common-sense software development
The subtitle of McConnell's book is "A Practical Handbook of Software Construction". I have found that it lives up to this claim excellently. Like Brook's classic "The Mythical Man-Month" Code Complete offers practical advice on the real-world challenges of software development. Code Complete contains 33 chapters, which can be read as separate essays.

To entry-level programmers and computer science students, this book is an excellent primer on the fundamentals of the industry. For experienced programmers, this book is an great way to review your own development strategies and best practices. For project managers, Code Complete serves as a great source of ideas for process improvement, as well as a great learning tool to pass on to new entry-level hires. My employer has used several chapters out of Code Complete as the basis for discussion topics.

McConnell writes in an easy-to-read, entertaining style that has made him one of the most popular authors in the field. His book "Rapid Development", is also an extremely popular book on software development, and many (including me) are anxiously awaiting his next work, "Software Project Survivial Guide".

In short, Code Complete belongs in the library of every serious developer.

The best in its class, perhaps the ONLY book in its class?
There are many great books on how to design software, there are many great books on how to manage software projects and the are thousands of books on programming and programming languages (not all great). But, I don't think there are any books that fill the niche filled by CC. As the title says it is about software construction, that means it is about writing software in a professional way on a professional project. It is about writing code that can be maintained for years ahead.

This is not "how to program" - for that you probably want a language specific book anyway. This is more like "how to be a programmer". The difference may seem subtle, and if you have never worked as a professional developer it may be a little vague, but there is a difference between writing code for yourself or even for a university course and writing code for a living. As an undergraduate, for example, you may want to write a recursive routine to demonstrate your knowledge but in a "real-life" project recursion is a last resort. This book explains that difference and leads the way to a preofessional approach to software development.

Highly recommended for developers. Manager could read it but to be honest they would be better off investing their time in other books, such as Rapid Development. No, this one is aimed squarely at those on the code face and should be essential reading to anyone starting a career in software.

My only gripe is that it is now 10 years old so there are no examples in Java, C++, Perl, C# etc... The examples that are given are clear and easy to follow but it would be great if an updated edition could be produced. Also, another nice-to-have would be some coverage of OO development. Don't let this put you off, just because it is not 100% up-to-date does not mean it is not 100% useful.

If I could, I'd give this book 10 stars! :)
Reading this book was an eye-opening experience for me! I started programming a couple years ago in BASIC, then I switched to C taking over many of the bad programming style I developed with BASIC. Lately I discovered my interest in programming once again, read through an MFC book and began programming for Windows, a whole new field for me. I always wondered how professional programmers are able to maintain programs that are more complex than Notepad.

I thought it's just the experience and knowledge of almost all the possible (MFC) functions that exist. Code Complete showed me that it's a lot more than that, beginning by designing your program, not just starting to write code right away, up to topics like naming conventions for variables, how to determine what code to put into a routine or how to make your program easier to debug.

Although Code Complete may sound like a very dry book only for expert programmers, it really isn't. Steve McConnell even managed to throw in a lot of amusing anecdotes or witty tests - like the one: "How many of these data structures do you know?". If you checked (almost) ALL of them, you're advised to read the section about intellectual honesty - because some of the data structures are bogus names made up by the author. :)

All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone , whether you're a professional programmer (for me that is any programmer whose job is programming ) or a hobbyist like me, wanting to create the applications you always dreamed of but thought you could never manage it.

Especially interesting for students or anyone trying to start a career as a programmer: this book contains a lot of 'further reading' advices with short descriptions of the books. So this book is also an excellent entry point for those wanting to become a professional programmer and are looking to fill the mind gaps where necessary.